The Hindu : Front Page : Work on rail link to Devanahalli airport likely to be delayed

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Tuesday, Sep 04, 2007
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Work on rail link to Devanahalli airport likely to be delayed

Nagesh Prabhu

Clearances from various departments and agencies are yet to be obtained

BANGALORE: The key infrastructure linking the upcoming international airport near Devanahalli and Bangalore city appears to be bogged down owing to bureaucratic delay with no clear direction for the speedy implementation of the proposed project.

Official sources admitted that work on the proposed high-speed elevated rail link between Bangalore city and the airport near Devanahalli would be commissioned only after two years because of several administrative clearances required to the project.

The airport, however, would become operational from April, 2008.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited, which will assist the Government in developing the elevated rail link from BRV Grounds near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to the airport, a few days ago submitted a detailed project report (DPR) to the Government.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 3,500 crore.

It will take just 23 minutes to cover the 28-km distance from the city to the airport. DMRCL was also involved in construction of rail links to airports in Hyderabad and New Delhi.

Official sources told The Hindu on Monday that work on the project would commence only after obtaining clearances from various departments and agencies such as the National Highway Authority of India, Indian Railways, the Ministry o f Defence, and the Union Environment Ministry, and local agencies such as the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

“The Infrastructure Department requires at least 18 to 24 months for getting clearances from various departments and work on the project will start only after that,” the sources said.

The project would take at least three years to be completed.

Notifications for land acquisition and construction work of the project would be issued only after obtaining clearance from the Union and State government departments.

The State Cabinet was yet to give its nod to the multi-crore project, which would be established on public-private partnership.

To avoid any possible delay in commissioning the project due to litigation and resistance from the public, there would be minimum land acquisition, the sources said.

Chief Secretary P.B. Mahishi, V.P. Baligar, Principal Secretary (Infrastructure) and the BBMP officials inspected the BRV Grounds last week where the elevated rail begins.

A portion of the BRV Grounds, presently with the Police Department, would be acquired for the project. The Government was looking for an alternative land to the Police Department.

Testing the soil to ascertain its load bearing capacity for the railway line had been completed.

The testing was taken up by Civil Aid Consultancy, an agency appointed by the DMRCL.

Soil testing had been done at several places along the proposed link, including the airport, Yelahanka, Hebbal, Veterinary Hospital, Mekhri Circle, Windsor Manor, Sankey Road and the Chinnaswamy Stadium, suggesting that this could be the probable route the railway line would take.

The Government proposed to have check-in facility for passengers at Police Parade Grounds, Hebbal, and at the airport.

The Government was planning to integrate the proposed rail link with the Metro Rail.

The Government decided against the proposal to provide check-in facility at Palace Grounds since the dispute over it (Palace Grounds) was before the Supreme Court, the sources said.

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